Motor vehicle



Aug. 26, 1941. c. R. PA'roN v 2,253,646

- MOTOR VEHICLE l Filed May 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, 1941,. C. R. PATON l l2,25i',646

MOTOR VEHICLE v Filed May '7, 19:58 z sheets-sheet 2 and suspension systems.

tional leaf spring assembly.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941V Moron VEHICLE l. Clyde n. raton, Birmingham, Mien., enigmi to Packard Motor Car Company, corporation of Michigan Detroit, Mich., a

Application May z, 193s. serial No. 206,641 s (onzer-11) l Claims.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and is morev particularly concerned with. improvements in and relating to vehicle wheel suspensions. It is the principal object of the invention to promote riding comfort by minimizing undesirable movements of the vehicle body and by reducing vibration originating in the vehicle. propulsion It is found that when Aa. vehicle passes over an irregular road bed, so` thatrone road wheel rises or falls abruptly with respect to the wheel on the opposite side, the vehicle body is thrust laterally. For example. when one wheel meets an obstacle and rises, the axle swings upwardly about the point of contact of the opposite wheel with the roadV bed. The longitudinal vertical planes passing through the points o! connection of the oppositely disposed springs to the axle are thus brought closer together, and one or both of the springs must ilex laterally. That spring which is the atter of the two is more resistant to lateral ilexure, and the body is displaced toward the opposite side, theopposite spring yielding laterally to permit such movement. The lateral impact thus applied to thebody is usually severe owing to the cdgewise stillness of the conven- It has been proposed ,to employ 'es une tous ses the lateral flexibility of the springs, the damping action'normally resulting from interleaf friction having been largely removed by the use of the rubber inserts between the leaves.

again, if the damping of the springs is'decreased in a vehicle employing the well-known Hotchkiss type of drive, in which rotation of therear axle housing about a transverse axis is resisted largely by the springs, axle rotation in respouse to braking or driving torque becomes more pronounced, with accompanying brake or clutch chatter. It is also'found with springs of lover damping characteristics that in driving over rubber 'between the spring leaves to reduce the static down motion rotates the axle, setting up vibrational disturbances in the clutch and brakes. Such chatter also resulta from the employment of low damped springs when the vvehicle wheels bounce inpassing over certain types of uneven h road surface.

It is therefore an object of the invention to eliminate the lateral movement or floatof the body and the vibrational disturbance and chatter just described by so connecting the frameV with the driving parts including the axle and .differential housings, independently of the springs, as to eilectively resistor damp undesirable relative motion. More speciilcally, it is an object ofthe invention to so connect the frame and axle structure by shock absorbing devices that body oat and chatter are either entirelyA eliminated or reduced to unobjectionable amplitude; preferably the construction is such that the same shock absorbing means 'sufflces to resist both types of disturbance and performs in addition the more conventional function of resisting rapid accelerative vertical movement of the frame on the axle.

' 'rially reduce vibration, but without interference with the normal operation of vehicley springs of low damping.

Further objects and features ofv the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view-of the rear end of a motor vehicle chassis illustrating the application f invention, reference is made hereinafter to the sand or snow, the wheels crawl upwardly on the several embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specic language is employed. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention hicle power plant.

is intended thereby, but that various further modifications and alterations of the illustrated structure are contemplated such as would occur to one skilled in the art.

Dealing first with the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that these figures illustrate the rear end portion of a motor vehicle chassis, theusual side frame members, indicated at I0, being Yconnected by a transverse member Il at the rear of the vehicle and cross frame members i3 and Il adjacent the rear axle. 'I'he members I3 and Il may assume various structural forms an'd be understood that the road wheels are driven through live axles within the housings from gearing within the diiierential housing 2|this gearing beingin turn driven from a drive shaft 24, which shaft extends forwardly tothe vej- The drive may be of the well-known Hotchkiss type which employs no torque tube about the drive shaft, universal joints being interposed in the drive shaft adjacent the diiferentlai housing and the power plant. in which system of drive the braking and driving torque on the axle and differential housings is resisted solely by the vehicle suspension springs.

The suspension system illustrated includes leaf springs 25, one of which is disposed-at each side of the vehicle and is secured at its forward end to a spring hanger 26 and at its rearward end to a shackle 21, the springs lying beneath and being thus connected with the side frame 111cm-,

bers I0. Intermediate its ends each springy is secured to an axle housing 2li in the conventional manner. f

AIn the practice of my invention, I prefer 'to ing of vertical wheel movements, but I thereby reduce the resistance of the spring assembly to lateral flexure.

The structure thus far described forms no Dart of the instant invention except to the extent that certain details of the construction may cooperate with other features hereinafter described to improve the action of the vehicle suspension.

i Thus while in any vehicle employing the Hotchkiss type of drive the rear axle anddifi'erential housings tend to rotate-about a transverse axis in response to the application of braking or driving torque thereto, as here'inbei'ore' explained, this tendency is'much more pronounced when the damping of the springs is reduced, for example, by the use of rubber or anti-friction devices between the leaves. Again, by reducing the friction between the spring leaves and to some exemploy leaf spring assemblies in which the damping of spring iexure, both vertical and lateral,

- is relatively low. One such assembly is described in my copending application Serial No.`197,478, filed March 22, 1938, the detailed construction beingclaimed more specifically therein; for the purposes of the present application it suilices to state that the spring action is modied to aiford a dat ride, and the spring assembly may be described as offering relatively low damping, particularly with respect to vertical fiexure resulting from rapid wheel movements oi' large amplitude. The improved characteristics of the assembly are obtained by the use'of bearings or bearing means intermediate the several spring leaves, the `bearing means preferably comprising inserts 1B 'of rubber, self-lubricating bronze, lead alloys, and like materials. 'I'hese inserts may be received in depressions 1.5 formed in the tip portions ofthe several' leaves of the spring, and serve to space the adjacent leaves throughout a portion of their length. By suitable selection of the materials of which these inserts are composed and of their disposition between the several spring leaves, I am enabled readily to adjust the spring characteristics. By the employment of `inserts of rubber, or other materials which substantially eliminate interleaf friction, between the longer leaves of the assembly. I am enabled not only to materially reduce the dampj plane and with va verticaltent by the employment oi' rubber connectins and what is known as body oat tends to persist.

It is the purpose of the structure hereinafter described to prevent or reduce chatter and body float and this structure is therefore particularly applicable to vehicles in which the suspension -may be described as one of low damping, regardless of the method by which the damping is reduced.

In the form of the invention shown in Fislll'e 1 and 2, the preferred structure comprises iiuid shock absorbers which are so connected between the axle means andthe frame as to effectively damp body oat and chatter and in addition to perform the usual flmction of shock absorbers in retarding rapid vertical acceleration of the body on the axle. The shock absorbers illustrated are of the fluid, extensible type. each shock absorber comprising a generally tubular member 34 and a member l! extending within and telescoping with the member 34. In this type of shock absorber the member Il ordinarily functionsas a cylinder and the member Il as a piston operable in the cylinder, and by suitable valving of the iiuid pastthe piston as the member Il moves into and out of the member 34, the degree of resistance to such movement in either direction may be accurately regulated. Thus it is common practice to so adjust a shock absorber that on the compression stroke, that is Vwhen the wheels tend to rise, less resistance is offered than on the rebound stroke, when the body moves upward as the result oi' the previous compression of the vehicle springs. This typo oi' shock absorber is well-known and the details thereof form no part of the present invention.

-Two or more shock absorbers of this type are preferably used and connection of these vshock absorbers to the axle and the frame may be eii'ected in any convenient manner. For example, brackets 31, one secured to each of the cross frame members Il and Il may be pivotally connected to the members M of the respective shock absorbers, and brackets ll, secured to the axle housings, may be pivotally connected to the members 35 of the respective shock absorbers. As will be apparent from the drawings, the shock absorbers are so disposed that the longitudinal axes thereof form acute angles with a horizontal plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. 'I'he shock absorber at one side of the vehicle extends upwardly toward the forward end of the vehicle, and the shock absorber at the other side of the vehicle extends upwardly toward the rearward end of the vehicle. Y

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that if the road wheels I8 and axle hous- -ings rise or fall as a unit with respect to the frame, or if either road wheel rises or falls, the

shock'absorbers will function in the conventional manner to resist such vertical movement of the body, on either compression or rebound, to an extent which may be adjusted by suitable regulation of the valves within the shock absorbers. If the body should tend tomove laterally on the axles, for example,v in response to sudden upward movement of either road wheel, such lateral movement will likewise be resisted and damped by the shock absorbers, one shock vabsorber acting in compression and the other in rebound, so that 'adequate resistance is assured. Similarly if the axle housings 20 tend to rotate about a transverse axis, such rotation will tend to compress one shock absorber and extend the other, so .that maximum resistance to such rotation is offered by one of the shock absorbers regardless of the 'direction of rotation o! the axle housings. It

will thus be appreciated that' by the simple expedient of properly disposing and connecting the shock absorbers between the axle housings and the frame, suitable damping of undesirable vibrations and lateral body movements may be eiected without further equipment than is normally required to damp only the vertical movements of the body.

the axle housing 2l or the spring seat 43 at the other side.`

In this form of the invention as in the form shown in Flgures'l and 2, the shock absorbers, designated at 4B, arel of the iiuid, extensible type. Two shock absorbers are preferably employed at each side of the vehicle, each pair being pivoted at their upper ends to a bracket 4S which is in turn secured to the adjacent side frame member I0. The lower end of each of the shock absorbers I8 is pivotally connected to anarm 5I, the arms 5I being secured rigidly -to and extending forwardly and rearwardly respectively from the axle housings 20 adjacent the spring seat 43, the arms 5i preferably forming an angle of approximately 90 with the longitudinal axes of the shock absorbers 18 when the vehicle is normally loaded.

n will be observed that with this construction both shock absorbers 48 act to resist rising and falling movement of the road -wheels in thereonventional manner. In addition, if the'axle and differential housings tend to rotate about a transverse axis, such rotation is retarded and damped by the action of the shock absorbers, at least one of which'is actuated in a direction to afford the maximum 'resistance to such movement.

It will also be noted that the disposition of the shock absorbers is such that there is a tendency to minimize rocking movement of the body about a longitudinal axis. For example, if the road wheel at the right of Figure 1 meets an obstruction and rises with respect to' the frame, such movement will be resisted by the adjacent, shock absorber, with the result that an upward thrust is imparted to the adjacent side of the body and a downward thrust is imparted to the axle housing 20. Since the shock absorber is connected tothe axle housing at the rear of the latter, this last named thrust will tend to rotate the axlev housing 20 about its transverse axis. The torque thus applied to the axle housing will impart an upward thrust tothe shock absorber at the other side of the vehicle, thus tending to raise the body at such opposite side, the connection of such qpposite shock absorber to the -axle housing 20' being effected at the forward side of the latter.

The body therefore tends to maintain a level i position despite road irregularities.

Figure 3 illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention in which thesuspension is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, similar reference characters .being employed to designate corresponding parts. In this form of the invention, however, theshock absorbers do not act to. resist lateral movement of the frame; consequently it is advisable to stabilize the body against such lateral movement by other means. This may be conveniently done by a tie rod which may be pivotally connected as at 4I to a bracket 42 secured to the side frame member I0, the tie rod being pivotally'connected at its other end to a bracket 45 secured to :he diterentlal casing 2l. It; will be understood that this tie rod 40 may be connected to other relatively movable parts of the suspension; for example the lower end thereof may be connected between the side frame member I0 at one side of the vehicle'and The form of the invention illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings is quite similar to that shown in- Figure 3, but may be ,employed where space permits for the purpose oi increasing the leverage applied to the actuation of the shock absorbers on rotation of the axle housings. Thus in this modicat-ion the arms 52, which are rigid with the axle housings 2li and pivotally connected to the lower ends or the shock absorbers 48, extend means and wheels on' said frame for verticalv movement and for limited lateral movement *with respect thereto, and means acting between said frame and axle means to oppose relative lateral and vertical movements thereof and to oppose rotation of said axle means about a transverse `axis, said last named means including longitudinally extensible shock absorbing devices connected to said axle means and said i'rame and disposed in acutely angled relation to a horizontal plane and to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

2. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a' vehicle frame, of road wheels disposed at opposite sides of said frame, axle means carrying said wheels, resilientmeans supporting said axle means and wheels on saidd'rame for vertical movement and for limited lateral movement with yrespect thereto, and means acting beween said frame and axle means to oppose relative lateral and vertical movements thereof and to oppose rotation of said axle means about a transverse axis, said last named means including longitudinally extensible shock absorbing devices connected to said axle means and said rameand disposedinmelynsledrelationtoahorlzontal plane and to a. vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis oi' the vehicle, one of said devices extending upwardly in a forward direction and another of said devices extending upwardly in a rearward direction.

3. In a. motor vehicle, the combination with y a vehicle frame, of road wheels disposed at opposite sides of said frame, axle means carrying said wheels, resilient means supporting said axle means and vWheels on said frame for vertical movement'and for limited lateral movement with respect thereto, and means acting between said frame and axle means to oppose relative lateral and vertical movements thereof, said last named means including longitudinally extensible uid shock absorbing devices connected to said axle means and said frame and disposed in acutely angled relation to a horizontal plane and to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis oi the vehicle.

4. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a vehicle frame, of road wheels disposed at posite sides of said frame, axle means carrying aid Wheels, resilient means supporting said xle means and wheels on said frame for vertical movement and for limited lateral movement with respect thereto, said resilient means comprising longitudinally extending leaf springs connected to said axle means and trame, said springs having bearing means including rubberfinterposed between certain of the leaves thereof, drive means for .said road wheels including a longitudinally extending drive shaft permitting rotation of said axle means abouta transverse axis, and means acting between said frame and axle means to oppose relative lateral and vertical movements thereof and to oppose rotation oi' said axle means about a transverse axis, said last named means including longitudinally extensible shock absorbing devices connected to said axle means and said frame and disposed in acutely angled relation to a horizontal plane and to a vertical plane containing thel longitudinal axis of the vehicle, one of said devices extending upwardly in a forward direction and another of said devices extending upwardly ln a rearward direction.

5. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a Vehicle frame, of road wheels disposed at opposite sides of said frame, axle means carrying said wheels, resilient means supporting said axle means and wheels on said frame for vertical movement and for limited lateral movement with respect thereto, and means acting between said frame and axle means to oppose relative lateral and vertical movements thereof, said last named means including longitudinally extensible iiuid shock absorbing devices connected to said axle means and said frame and disposed in acutely angled relation to a horizontal plane, to a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and to a vertical plane perpendicu- 

